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The Friday night matchup of Athens Christian against Jackson County initially seemed like a tortoise vs. the hare contest. But which team took the role of tortoise or hare got muddled as the game progressed.

The Golden Eagles notched their second victory of the season against visiting Jackson County with a 42-39 win.

But it was the Panthers who struck first with a 5-yard run from sophomore quarterback Jacob Lewis to cap a drive that ate up more than eight minutes of the clock in the first quarter.

Athens Christian immediately answered, though, with a 95-yard kickoff return for touchdown courtesy of Demetrius McWhorter that took just 11 seconds.

Jackson County soon retook the lead with the first of five TD passes on the night from Lewis, this one to junior wide receiver Xavier Harper for 14 yards.

On the Panthers next possession, Lewis found Harper again from 38 yards out, but freshman kicker Luis Sanchez went wide left on the extra point.

Then it was Athens Christian’s senior quarterback Brett Branton’s turn to make a dramatic play with a 74-yard pass to fellow senior Levi Cummings, who found the end zone.

However, in just over a minute Lewis and Harper responded with another TD pass, this time from 58 yards out.

The duo immediately scored again on a 2-point conversion, but the play was nullified due to an offensive pass interference call. From further out, the Panthers again turned to Sanchez, who bounced the ball off the upright.

Jackson County failed to convert on three extra point attempts in the game and committed 11 penalties that cost them 103 yards.

The Golden Eagles then scored on another 95-yard kickoff return, this one from defensive back Josiah Brooks.

Athens Christian closed the scoring gap even more with just 40 seconds left in the half when Branton found senior receiver Stephen Logan in the end zone from seven yards out.

To start off the second half, Lewis found Harper again for a 26-yard TD pass.

But Athens Christian again took the lead, and never gave it back, with a 5-yard run for a touchdown from junior running back Marquez Henson.

Marquez got his second score of the night with a 20-yard TD pass from Branton on fourth down halfway through the fourth quarter.

Lewis and Harper connected one more time on a 2-yard TD pass, but it proved too little too late.